Searching for the Underground – Opening with live performance

Opening of Searching for the Underground, a multidisciplinary installation by composer Kate Moore at De Poorthuisjes, with a live performance by Moore.

Searching for the Underground

Searching for the Underground is a multidisciplinary installation by composer Kate Moore at De Poorthuisjes in Amsterdam. Developed during her residency with Ode aan de gemeenschap, the work explores the sounds of the garden at the Van der Pek housing block and the hidden world beneath it.

During her residency with Ode aan de gemeenschap, Moore has turned her attention to the semi-enclosed garden of the Van der Pek housing block. Using audio equipment, she explores the hidden world beneath the surface of this urban oasis. Through this artistic research, Moore becomes part of the everyday life of the Van der Pek block by listening to the sounds that converge in the garden from the surrounding apartments. As the residents themselves do not have access to the garden, she occupies a unique position since she can experience a form of collectivity that remains hidden from others. This preliminary research will lead to Moore’s next project, The Underground: An Unseen Opera, which will be presented at the Oranjewoud Festival, a contemporary music festival in Friesland, in May 2027.

Kate Moore

Kate Moore is an internationally acclaimed Australian-Dutch composer whose work explores the physical qualities of sound and its relationship to space, time and perception. Her compositions often develop through repetition and gradual transformation, drawing attention to subtle changes in texture, rhythm and resonance. Alongside composing for musicians and ensembles, Moore creates sound installations and site-sensitive works that respond to their surroundings.

Born in Oxfordshire (England) in 1979 and raised in Australia, she has lived and worked in the Netherlands since 2002. Her compositions balance between contemporary classical music and experimental sound art. She often seeks innovative sounds by combining traditional instruments with unconventional objects made of metal or ceramic. She founded her own ensemble, the Herz Ensemble. Her works are also performed worldwide by leading ensembles and orchestras such as Asko|Schönberg, HIIT/Slagwerk Den Haag, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Groot Omroepkoor (Netherlands Radio Choir), and the Netherlands Chamber Choir. Her compositions have been presented at venues and events including the Holland Festival, Muziekgebouw, TivoliVredenburg, and the Sydney Opera House. In 2017, she received the prestigious Dutch Matthijs Vermeulen Prize for composition, followed by the Gieskes-Strijbis Podiumprijs in 2022.

Ode aan de gemeenschap

Ode aan de gemeenschap is a year-long programme at De Poorthuisjes that brings professional artists and local residents together. Through four artist residencies, the programme explores the contemporary meaning of community and the ways in which people connect, share knowledge and create together. The artists-in-residence are Roberta Maimone (Spring 2026), Arie Syarifuddin (Summer 2026), Kate Moore (Autumn 2026), and artist duo Mangano & Van Rooy (Winter 2027). Klazina, the housing officer, guides the projects and hosts the Klazien-o-theek.

De Poorthuisjes are two former gatehouses of the Van der Pek housing block. Built in 1912, the buildings are now used for art and community projects in Amsterdam Oost. De Poorthuisjes are operated by Stichting LOLA.

Programme

Exhibition 7 – 29 November 2026, Thursday – Sunday 14.00 – 17.00

• Opening with live performance: Saturday 7 November, 16.00
• Klazien-o-theek – Lab with Kate Moore and residents of the Van der Pek block: Saturday 7 November, 14.30
• Klazien-o-theek – Klazina listens, with the children (children’s club): Saturday 28 November, 11.00
• Klazien-o-theek – Lab with Kate Moore, open to everyone: Saturday 28 November, 15.00
• Finissage with live performance: Sunday 29 November, 15.00

Free admission. More on odeaandegemeenschap.nl and Instagram.